Efectividad del uso de placas palatinas y de la estimulación orofacial en el desarrollo oral en niños con síndrome de Down / Effectiveness of the use of palate plates and orofacial stimulation in the oral development of children with Down's syndrome

Down's syndrome children shown multiple alterations, among them marked general hypotonic. While this produces some basic difficulties, at the orofacial level it generates a characteristic expression marked by open mouth, hypotonic tongue that rests upon the lower lip, and great salivation. To ameliorate this, an orofacial regulation therapy was initiated, to stimulate this musculature, strengthen it and mold it during development. Objective: To observe the effect of stimulating palate plates, and orofacial exercises in the function and tonicity of children with Down's syndrome. Patients and Methods: Five children, 10 to 21 months old, with Down's syndrome, were treated through orofacial regulation for 20 to 30 minutes, 4 times a day for 2 months (palate plates and orofacial stimulation exercises). Pre and post treatment evaluations were made and a photographic and video evaluation was registered weekly. Results and Conclusions: Therapy decreased lingual protrusion and increased mouth closure. This is not thought as real tonicity change since that statement would require a long term and wider area study to determine effectiveness and applicability.

Introducción: Se sabe que los pacientes con Síndrome de Down presentan múltiples alteraciones, entre ellas marcada hipotonía general lo que dificulta las funciones básicas y a nivel orofacial genera una expresión característica de boca abierta, lengua hipotónica descansando sobre el labio inferior y gran salivación. En respuesta a esto se creó la terapia de regulación orofacial que estimula la musculatura orofacial, para fortalecerla y modelarla durante el desarrollo. Objetivo: Observar los efectos de las placas palatinas estimulantes y de los ejercicios orofaciales, en la función y tonicidad de la musculatura orofacial de niños con Síndrome de Down. Pacientes y Métodos: seleccionamos 5 niños con síndrome de Down, entre 10 y 21 meses de edad, se les aplicó la terapia de regulación orofacial durante 2 meses con uso de 20 a 30 min por 4 veces al día (placas palatinas estimulantes y ejercicios de estimulación orofacial). Se realizaron evaluaciones pre y post tratamiento, y controles semanales con registro fotográfico y video. Resultados y Conclusiones: La terapia aumentó el cierre bucal y disminuyó la protrusión lingual. Sin embargo, no se observaron cambios "reales" en la tonicidad muscular, ya que su evaluación requiere estudios a largo plazo y de un universo mayor, para determinar la efectividad de la técnica y masificar su aplicación.

The Use of Tenaculum During Intrauterine Insemination May Not Affect the Pregnancy Outcome

PURPOSE: The association between tenaculum application to the cervix just before embryo transfer and lower pregnancy rate has been reported. However, studies on the use of tenaculum in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles are not available. This study attempted to investigate whether the use of tenaculum affects the clinical outcomes of IUI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty three CC/hMG/IUI cycles of one hundred and forty three couples were recruited at Seoul National University Hospital from October 2006 to December 2008. Mock insemination and IUI with or without tenaculum application to the cervix were also performed, and clinical pregnancy rate was compared. RESULTS: The incidence of difficult mock insemination at the beginning of cycle was higher in the tenaculum use group (p < 0.001). No significant statistical difference in the clinical pregnancy rate was observed between the groups with or without tenaculum application (12.1% vs. 18.5%; p = 0.175), which was not influenced by the difficulty of mock insemination. CONCLUSION: The use of tenaculum during IUI may not affect the pregnancy outcome. Our results need to be confirmed by a prospective study in a larger population.

Reflexo da deglutição: análise sobre eficiência de diferentes estímulos em jovens sadios / Swallowing reflex: analysis of the efficiency of different stimuli on healthy young individuals

TEMA: a ausência ou atraso do reflexo da deglutição é considerado um sinal significativo de disfagia. Assim, a terapia tradicionalmente empregada nesses casos consiste em aumentar o input intra-oral por meio de toques gelados (espelho laríngeo 0 ou 00) no terço inferior do arco palatoglosso, porção inferior. OBJETIVOS: identificar, em indivíduos jovens e sadios, quais regiões da orofaringe são mais sensíveis para desencadear o reflexo da deglutição e qual estímulo é mais eficiente. MÉTODO: O reflexo da deglutição foi investigado a partir dos estímulos: espátula, espelho laríngeo 00 gelado, espátula envolta em gaze com água gelada e espátula envolta em gaze umedecida congelada, tocando-se o arco palatoglosso em suas porções inferior e superior, as tonsilas palatinas, a base de língua e a úvula em 65 indivíduos jovens e sadios. RESULTADOS: o reflexo da deglutição não foi desencadeado na maioria dos participantes quando tocado com diferentes estímulos e locais da orofaringe, sendo esta estatisticamente significante. Quando presente, os estímulos mais eficientes foram o espelho laríngeo 00 (28,6 por cento) e a espátula envolta com gaze congelada (27,3 por cento). Quanto à região da orofaringe, a úvula (29,6 por cento), as tonsilas palatinas (26,7 por cento), os arcos palatoglossos região superior (25 por cento) e inferior (21,2 por cento) e base de língua (25 por cento) foram sensíveis aos estímulos. CONCLUSÃO: quando presente o reflexo da deglutição, a úvula, os arcos palatoglossos e as tonsilas palatinas foram as regiões mais sensíveis para desencadeá-lo e o estímulo mais eficiente, dentre os selecionados, foram o espelho laríngeo gelado e a espátula envolta em gaze umedecida congelada.

BACKGROUND: the absence or delay of the swallowing reflex is considered a significant sign of dysphagia. Therefore, the therapy traditionally applied to these cases consists in increasing the intra-oral input through cold touches (0 or 00 larynx mirror) on the inferior portion of the inferior third of the palatoglossus arch. AIM: to identify in healthy young individuals which oropharyngeal regions are more sensitive and which stimulus is more efficient in triggering the swallowing reflex. METHODS: the swallowing reflex was analyzed based on the following stimuli: spatula, cold 00 larynx mirror, gauze embedded in cold water wrapped onto spatula and frozen moist gauze wrapped onto spatula; touching the palatoglossus arch in both its inferior and superior portions, the palatine tonsils, the base of the tongue and the uvula in 65 healthy young individuals. RESULTS: the swallowing reflex was not triggered in most of the participants when touching different oropharyngeal regions with different stimuli. This result was statistically significant. When present, the most efficient stimuli were cold 00 larynx mirror (28.6 percent) and frozen moist gauze wrapped onto spatula (27.3 percent). Concerning the oropharynx, the uvula (29.6 percent), the palatine tonsils (26.7 percent), the superior (25 percent) and inferior (21.2 percent) palatoglossi arches and the base of tongue (25 percent) were most sensitive to the applied stimuli. CONCLUSION: when the swallowing reflex was present, the uvula, the palatoglossi arches and the palatine tonsils were the most sensitive regions to trigger this reflex, and the most efficient stimuli to trigger swallowing were the cold 00 larynx mirror and the frozen moist gauze wrapped onto spatula.

Estimulación adecuada-alto riesgo-rehabilitación

Por la misma historia de la medicina y por la formación que en nuestras facultades hemos recibido, en las cuales el componente asistencial es el imperante, nosotros los médicos consideramos que la razón de nuestro quehacer como profesionales es el hecho de curar patologías y nos olvidamos de una función más importante que ésta y es la educación para la prevención. En congresos, cursos y en la actividad cotidiana, cuando se mencionan actividades como la estimulación adecuada, nos remitimos al personal paramédico para que éste participe, pues nuestra investidura hipocrática en una falsa concepción, no nos permite involucrarnos en actividades consideradas poco científicas o demasiado sencillas, para las cuales creemos no hemos sido formados. Esta y otras razones como: desconocimiento del tema, ya que nos motiva poco, o porque el curriculum con el cual nos construimos como especialistas no contempla estos aspectos, por la baja remuneración económica que programas de este tipo produce, han ocasionado que actividades tan importantes para nuestra disciplina sean coordinadas por otros especialistas y profesionales muchos de ellos sin la formación suficiente para llevarlos a cabo.